THIS WEEK
The No. 9/9 Utah Utes (16-2, 6-2 Pac-12) return home to the Jon M. Huntsman this week for a pair of Pac-12 games, with #RV/RV USC on Friday (7 p.m. MT) and then #8/8 UCLA on Sunday (Noon MT). The Utes enter the weekend tied for second place in the Pac-12 with UCLA and Colorado.
THE MATCHUPS
Friday, Jan. 27 | 7 p.m. (MT)
#9/9 Utah (16-2; 6-2 Pac-12) vs #RV/RV USC (15-4; 5-3 Pac-12)
Location: Jon. M Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City, UT
TV: Pac-12 Mountain
Radio: ESPN700 KALL | Listen Live
Click Here
Live Stats: Click Here
Sunday, Jan. 28 | Noon (MT)
#9/9 Utah (16-2; 6-2 Pac-12) vs #8/8 UCLA (17-3; 6-2 Pac-12)
Location: Jon. M Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City, UT
TV: Pac-12 Mountain
Radio: ESPN700 KALL | Listen Live
Click Here
Live Stats: Click Here
HOW TO TUNE IN
Fans can watch the game USC game on Pac-12 Mountain, with Krista Blunk and Anthony Levrets calling the action. The radio call will be on ESPN 700 KALL, with Tyson Ewing handling play-by-play and Milee Enger as analyst. Live stats are on UtahUtes.com.
The UCLA game will be on Pac-12 Networks, with Krista Blunk and Anthony Levrets calling the action. The radio call will be on ESPN 700 KALL, with Tyson Ewing handling play-by-play and Milee Enger as analyst. Live stats are on UtahUtes.com.
TICKETS AND FAN ENGAGEMENT
•Tickets to all Utah Women's Basketball home games are available online at UtahTickets.com or by calling 801-581-8849.
•The recently announced "Utes Beyond the Paint" Community Series engages fans with the program in helping to serve critical needs in the community.
•The series continues with its second installment on Jan. 27 & 29 when USC and UCLA visit Salt Lake City, and the Utes join forces with Unified Sports of Murray High School for a mid-week event and recognition at the two home games.
OPENING TIP
(all statistical rankings are updated through games of 1/25/23)
- The Utes dropped one spot this week to No. 9 in the AP poll. The highest the Utes have ever been ranked is No. 8 and it's happened twice in school history, both this season. Utah sits at 9th in the USA Today coaches poll.
- Utah has been ranked in the AP poll for 11 consecutive weeks, breaking the program record of nine weeks in a row set in 2001. Utah's most total weeks ranked in the same season is 13 in 2005-06.
- This week's NCAA NET rankings place the Utes at No. 7, second-best among Pac-12 teams behind Stanford (4).
- The Utes are 2-1 vs. ranked opponents this season after Friday's 74-62 loss to No. 4 Stanford. Utah earlier this season Utah downed No. 14/10 Arizona 80-79. The Utes also came away victorious on Nov. 16 with a win over then-No. 16 Oklahoma, Utah has defeated multiple ranked opponents in the same season for the first time since 2005-06 (5-3). Two of those wins came against teams in top 16, a feat only previously achieved in 2000-01, and now accomplished for a third time.
- The highest ranking of a team Utah has defeated in its history is No. 6 (Long Beach State, 2/10/84; 72-70 in Salt Lake City; and Stanford, 1/27/19; 75-68 in SLC). The highest-ranked road win in program history is over No. 15 Oregon State, 85-79, on Dec. 8, 2020 in Corvallis, Ore.
- Utah's 16-2 start to the season, and 6-2 start in Pac-12 Conference play, are its best in both through 18 games since 2018-19.
- Utah's 14-0 start was the second-best in program history (16-0 in 1997-98) and tied for the fourth-best start by any program in Pac-12 history.
- Utah is the nation's No. 7 scoring team (85.4 ppg), one of four major statistical categories in which the Utes boast a top-10 ranking: 4th in field-goal pct. (49.7); 3rd in scoring margin (+24), 7th in scoring (85.4) and 9th in assists (18.5).
- Three Utes averaging in double-figure scoring pace a balanced team attack: Alissa Pili (20.1), Gianna Kneepkens (15.0), and Jenna Johnson (11.4). Pili is No. 2 in the Pac-12 in scoring while Kneepkens is seventh among the Pac-12's best.
- Junior forward Alissa Pili, recently named to the Wooden Award and Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Midseason Watch Lists, leads the team in scoring (20.1; 2nd Pac-12, 18th NCAA) and ranks 11th in the nation (1st Pac-12) in field-goal percentage (61.9%). The Nov. 28 Pac-12 Player of the Week recently topped 1,000 career points.
- Sophomore Gianna Kneepkens ranks 8th in the nation in three-point shooting percentage (47.3), No. 1 among Pac-12 players.
- Soph. Ines Vieira is 5th nationally in assist-turnover ratio (2.91), No. 1 Pac-12.
- Utah holds an all-time home record of 543-131 (.806), and has won 12 of its last 13 home games, including 8-0 this year. The Utes have nine undefeated home seasons.
- Watch Lists: Gianna Kneepkens (Jersey Mike's Naismith Award/nation's top player; and Cheryl Miller Award/top small forward). Alissa Pili (Katrina McClain Award; top power forward; Wooden Award & Ann Drysdale Meyers Award Midseason Watch Lists).
NEXT UP
Utah hits the road to take on Oregon State on Friday, Feb. 3 and #RV Oregon on Sunday, Feb. 5.
Full notes package can be found here (PDF).
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along during the 2022-23 season on social media (Twitter: @UtahWBB | Instagram:
@UtahWBB | Facebook:
Facebook.com/UtahWBB).